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Chris Nicastro, Missouri's education commissioner, also talked about student transfers, the public schools in Kansas City and “more conversation about quality education than I have seen in my entire career.”

Meeting in St. Louis next week, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will have its first opportunity as an assembled group to consider what to do after the Vatican issued a mandate for change this spring. It calls on the conference to reorganize and more strictly observe church teachings.

When a family of four goes to the St. Louis Zoo, they can be forgiven for not knowing it will cost them $60, $72 if they park. If they can't pay, the alternative is to tell the kids they can't do what kids do at the zoo.

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The Missouri Chamber, which publicly has blasted the Affordable Care Act, is now reaffirming its support for Medicaid expansion by citing a new national study that shows Missouri among the states losing the most federal aid by failing to participate.

The Missouri House easily passed legislation aimed at attracting production of the 777x, a move that wraps up a legislative special session that saw little suspense and few surprises. The bill now goes to Gov. Jay Nixon, who has strongly supported the legislation.

Nelson Mandela, who died Thursday at the age of 95, was a towering moral figure of the 20th century -- along with Mahatma Gandhi. It was no coincidence that Gandhi and Mandela, whose paths never crossed directly, both embarked on their campaigns against discrimination in South Africa. It was when Mandela won election as South Africa’s first black president that Gandhi's influence became apparent.

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One night, the violinist is taking bows before a standing ovation at Jazz at the Bistro. The next afternoon, some of her audience may have trouble standing, but the kids in the playroom at Children's Hospital were no less appreciative. “Jazz is medicine personified," according to a doctor who brings in the jazz musicians.

If you wanted to take a real-time snapshot of the St. Louis art community, who or what would you feature? The Luminary Center of the Arts focused its attention on four specific local artists in a series called “We Are.”

For years , the author was certain he would never come to appreciate The Grateful Dead, let alone be a Deadhead. But little by little, he's come around. He talks about his conversion and relates a real evolution: by a musician who went on to play with the Schwag, a Dead cover band.

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The attorney has founded Arch Grants, which brings together nonprofit philanthropy and commercially viable opportunitiesto fund new business startups, and Mentor St. Louis, which finds adult mentors for elementary students in the St. Louis Public School System. He was the driving force behind the state's historic tax credit program.

BioSTL's BioGenerator organization is on the move as its entrepreneurs-in-residence find a new home in 4,300 square feet of office and conference space in an old automobile factory. The blossoming program, which helps BioGenerator's portfolio companies to get off the ground, continues to pay dividends within the growing biotech community.

The St. Louis Mosaic Project is set to hold an orientation for its new ambassadors -- dozens of foreign and native-born volunteers who aim to help make the community a more welcoming place for those from other nations. Participants will be expected to do everything from visiting local restaurants serving international cuisine to having dinner with an immigrant to the area.

Innovation and entrepreneurial activity are on the rise in St. Louis, especially in bioscience, technology and alternative energy. The Beacon's InnovationSTL section focuses on the people who are part of this wave, what they're doing and how this is shaping our future. To many St. Louisans, this wave is not yet visible. InnovationSTL aims to change that. We welcome you to share your knowledge, learn more about this vibrant trend and discuss its impact.

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The Missouri Chamber, which publicly has blasted the Affordable Care Act, is now reaffirming its support for Medicaid expansion by citing a new national study that shows Missouri among the states losing the most federal aid by failing to participate.

One night, the violinist is taking bows before a standing ovation at Jazz at the Bistro. The next afternoon, some of her audience may have trouble standing, but the kids in the playroom at Children's Hospital were no less appreciative. “Jazz is medicine personified," according to a doctor who brings in the jazz musicians.

Most people probably looked out the window Saturday morning, saw the snow and ice, and decided to stay indoors. But the morning was one of exercise as usual for a small group on a mission to tackle obesity among black women.

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Bureaucracies frequently exhibit turf rivalry; they do not play well with others. The different contractors also did not get along and the HHS staff didn’t get along with the contractors. There was no overall czar to prioritize and force the parts to mesh.

We're only moving next door, yet the Beacon's merger with St. Louis Public Radio is a big step. More important than the logistical and technical challenges, all of us will need to learn new ways to think about how our work can meet your needs.

Criticizing trickle-down economics is not Marxism. And greed may be good on Wall Street, but that’s not the central message of the Sermon on the Mount. The melting of floating ice does not raise ocean levels. The name Better Together does telegraph a conclusion.

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